1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to wireless-control of lighting systems and, in particular, to such control which is readily adaptable to changes in the system.
2. Description of Related Art
Wireless control of a lighting system provides many advantages besides the ability of remotely switching and dimming lighting units in the system. For example, such control provides a convenient way of setting up and making changes to a lighting system and of improving energy utilization. Features such as emergency lighting control can be added without making any wiring changes. Energy utilization by the system can be regulated by a program which can be readily modified to meet changing demands.
In order for a wireless-controlled lighting system to be readily accepted by users, however, a number of considerations must be addressed. For example, the system should preferably be compatible with lighting control standards that are already in use, such as DALI (Digital Addressable Lighting Interface), which is a widely-accepted standard for wired control of lighting systems. Additionally, power consumption by any battery-powered devices in the system (such as remote controls) should be low to maximize battery life. Further, the system must be capable of unambiguously controlling selected lighting units in the system and of incorporating lighting units which are later added to the system.
Commonly, wireless-controlled lighting systems include transceivers in a remote control and in controlled lighting units for enabling communications between users and a lighting system.
Such communications (typically via IR or RF signals) are utilized to configure the lighting units and the remote control into a wireless network. If the remote is used as a master control, it is used to configure the system by, for example, binding each of the lighting units to a respective button on the remote. In one known method for effecting such binding:                the remote transmits a command signal to put all of the lighting units into a learning mode;        the lighting units transmit pre-assigned identification (ID) numbers to the remote;        the remote successively transmits each of the ID numbers, causing the lighting units to light, and the user associates each newly-lighted lighting unit with a respective button on the remote.This system is relatively simple, but if the remote is lost or becomes inoperable the entire system must be reconfigured with a replacement remote. Also, the system utilizes a proprietary communication protocol and requires that each lighting unit have a pre-assigned ID number. This limits the types of new and replacement lighting units that can be incorporated into the system.        